11 must-see fall exhibits at U.S. museums

New York City’s Museum of the Moving Image pays tribute to Jim Henson’s groundbreaking work in a new, permanent exhibit.(Photo: The Jim Henson Company / Museum of the Moving Image)

With school back in session, destinations and museums will be less crowded in the coming months. Plan a trip to experience one of these 11 exhibits — the best out there this fall.

The Jim Henson Exhibition at Museum of the Moving Image in New York CityJuly 2017 – permanent

New York City’s museum dedicated to film and television pays tribute to Jim Henson’s groundbreaking work in a new, permanent exhibit. From early in his career to his success with The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, Henson’s story is told through more than 300 artifacts, film and television clips and behind-the-scenes footage. The exhibit features 47 puppets (including including Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, The Swedish Chef, Big Bird, Elmo and Cantus Fraggle), character sketches, storyboards, scripts, photographs and iconic costumes, plus interactive components that let visitors practice puppeteering and creating their own character. movingimage.us

Titanic in Photographs at The Queen Mary in Long Beach, Calif.July 2017 – July 2018

Now docked in the Port of Long Beach, the Queen Mary — the most famous surviving ocean liner — would have been the Titanic’s successor. The ship revisits the Titanic’s history in a new exhibit featuring dozens of period photographs and 150 artifacts. Visitors will experience the doomed ship through its decks, sumptuous staterooms, Smoking Room, Turkish Bath and Swimming Pool, Grand Staircase, gilt and crystal light fittings, furniture, china, silverware, crystal and chairs. One highlight is the actual sheet music carried with bandleader Wallace Hartley, who led his musicians in song in the final moments of the ship’s descent. queenmary.com

City of Dust at Nevada Museum of Art in RenoJuly 2017 – January 2018

What started as a small gathering of friends in 1986 in San Francisco to burn a wooden figure (“the man”) in effigy has morphed into a massive counterculture gathering held annually in the Nevada desert. Fittingly, the Nevada Museum of Art tells the story of Burning Man in a new exhibit this fall. Since the event relies on creating a temporary city (dedicated to art, self-expression and self-reliance) and leaving no trace, other museums haven’t attempted…